Ichiro will DH against Orioles on Wednesday

Maybe a day as the Seattle Mariners’ designated hitter will help Ichiro break from one of the worst slumps of his career.

Manager Eric Wedge gave Ichiro a semi-day off on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, slotting him at DH while giving Jack Cust the day off and playing rookie Mike Wilson in right field.

The move was simply intended to give Ichiro nine innings off his feet, Wedge said.

“I think I’m going to continue to need to pick spots with him just to get him off his feet, try to stay ahead of things for him physically,” Wedge said. “We’ve been bouncing back and forth with these night-days. A 12:40 after a night game’s a good time to do it. You weigh who’s pitching and the rest of your lineup because obviously there’s a domino effect with that.”

A full-on day off for Ichiro would not have been wise against the Orioles, according to history and statistics. Ichiro has the highest career batting average against Baltimore among active players, hitting .364 with 76 runs, 18 doubles, five triples eight home runs and 35 RBI in 98 career games.

He had two hits in the series opener on Monday, went 0-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday but reached on an error in the eighth inning and scored on Justin Smoak’s three-run home run.

Wedge said he plans to spell other regulars in the near future – he said shortstop Brendan Ryan will get a day off, catcher Miguel Olivo will continue to get a break every now and then, and utility infielder Adam Kennedy, one of the season’s most pleasant surprises, needs to sit every now and then to stay right physically.

It’s especially important with the 35-year-old Kennedy, who has proven to be one of the Mariners’ most consistent hitters with a .285 batting average in 42 games this season.

“What you’re seeing is what we were hopeful to expect,” Wedge said. “He’s been playing a little while, so we want to stay ahead of him physically, too. We want to keep him sharp, but make sure we can stay ahead of his body.”